I have been accused of being an opportunist many times in my life.

I have been accused of this often by my peers very early in my career and I have been hurt by these accusations. I was once empathic to these concerns because I didn’t want to lose my friends or lose my sense of self. But in doing so, I allowed these so called friends to temper my ability to blossom or realize my God-given talents.

Aren’t we all opportunists in various degrees? Whether it’s a woman finding the right man to father her child, or Christians doing all the right things in God’s eyes in order to get past the bodyguards and into the club of Heaven, or someone with career aspirations to find the right people that will help that person make enough money to buy a nice house and a fast car, we all act in a way that will serve our whims.

What I do know is that I guide my life by these principles: being as open-minded as possible to meet and learn from as many people as I can, to experience the world, to become closer to God everyday and to figuring out where His head is at, to act for the greater good, and then to create an environment that fosters my ability to express my artistic voice.

Years of fighting for the confidence of these kinds of friends and peers, I have gained little of the above. That period I would call my Dark Ages. These kinds of people don’t want you to do well. They sabotage, restrict and inhibit.

I am breaking free from these shackles, I am finding more like-minded peers and mentors whose souls soar higher that I ever imagined. I want to fly. I want to chase greatness. Not to feed my ego, but to experience the highest possibilities that God makes available to any of us. To be a bottom feeder would only perpetuate the madness and the insanity that festers in me.

An opportunist is someone who practices the art, policy, or practice of taking advantage of opportunities or circumstances often with little regard for principles or consequences.

I have always treated my friends well and I have shared much of my own happiness, benefits, rewards and opportunities with others. Always. So by definition, I am not an opportunist because I have the highest regard for principle. If you’ve seen my car, a ten-year old beater, you would know. And as far as the policy of taking advantage of opportunities, well, if you refer to my above aspirations, I once fought for the faith of my friends and have given little to create those opportunities for me. Finally breaking through the clouds, I realize that there are many other people who are more than empathetic to the cause. It’s nice to spread my wings.

You get to feel so guilty
Got so much for so little
That you find that feeling just won’t go away.
You’re holding on to every little thing so tightly
Till there’s nothing left for you anyway.

Goodbye, you can keep this suit of lies
I’ll be up with the sun
I’m not coming down
I’m not coming down
I’m not coming down.

You wanted to get somewhere so badly
You had to lose yourself along the way.
You changed your name
Well that’s okay, it’s necessary
And what you leave behind you don’t miss anyway.

Goodbye, you can keep this suit of lies
I’ll be up with the sun
I’m not coming down
I’m not coming down
I’m not coming down.

‘Cause I’m already gone
Felt that way all along.
Closer to you every day
I didn’t want it that much anyway.

You’re taking steps that make you feel dizzy
Then you learn to like the way it feels.
You hurt yourself, you hurt your lover
Then you discover
What you thought was freedom is just greed.

Goodbye, and it’s an emotional
Goodnight, I’ll be up with the sun.
Are you still holding on?
I’m not coming down
I’m not coming down
I’m not coming down.

Gone- U2/Pop